Girls Always Win
by wastingaway
Summary: Between gang fights, rival schools, and bloodlust, there's hardly anyone that you can trust these days, except for one person: the doctor. No one has ever seen the doctor face to face, but that doesn't stop them from trusting the doctor with their lives.
1. Enter Nara and Akimichi

**Summary**: Between gang fights, rival schools, and bloodlust, there's hardly anyone that you can trust these days, except for one person: the doctor. No one has ever seen the doctor face to face, but that doesn't stop them from trusting the doctor with their lives.

* * *

_Bang_.

_Bang_.

_BANG_.

_A gasp_.

_A thud_.

_Then nothing_.

"CHOUJI!" A haggard, panting, and stricken boy ran towards his best friend who now carried two bullet wounds. He was no damn expert, but he knew that his best friend needed help and he needed it _now_.

"Shikamaru, what happened?" a voice sounded through Shikamaru's earpiece as he was trying to calm down. After taking three deep breaths, he answered shakily.

"Chouji was _shot_. There's so much blood, what do I do? _What do I do_?" He was trying his best to think of a solution, of anything, that could save his best friend.

"There's nothing that you can do for him. You know that we can't take him to the hospital," the voice answered back. Of course he knew that he couldn't. There would be questions; questions that he would not be able to answer unless he wanted everything to be taken from not only him, but from everyone else as well. It would be too damn troublesome. He turned off his earpiece to save himself the lecture and looked hopelessly at the sky.

"Shi… ka…" a trembling hand reached out to touch Shikamaru's forearm and he reacted instantly to the touch, belittling his actual lazy demeanor.

"What is it, Chouj? Don't try to do anything right now, you might…" Shikamaru left his sentence as it was as he looked down at Chouji. He looked so _tired_. He wasn't allowed to be so _tired_ like this; he was suppose to be as exuberant as Shikamaru was lazy.

"There's a… place… two blocks from… here… with a… purple door. The doctor… will… help…" Chouji managed to choke out those few words before Shikamaru began to carry Chouji on his back. Sure, he struggled under Chouji's weight, which was really more muscle than fat despite what everyone else believed, but he was his _best friend_ and like **hell** he was going to let his best friend down now. Troublesome was the last thing on his mind.

He ran as fast as he could while trying to not jiggle Chouji to try to lessen the pain. He could feel Chouji's blood, his _lifeblood_, running down his back and soaking his shirt. '_Please hang on, Chouj. You're not suppose to leave me, damn it. We were supposed to find troublesome girls that would make our lives so damn troublesome, but we'd be in it _together"

Slightly out of breath, Shikamaru finally found the house with a purple door. He must have passed this place a thousand times and never really paid attention to it, or whoever lived in it. He looked around for a doorbell, but all there was only an intercom. It had to be after two in the morning now, would the doctor be willing to help?

He must have pushed the button at least three times before a feminine, raspy voice answered, "Who is it? What the hell do you want at _two thirty in the damn morning_?"

"Please miss, my friend was shot. He's bleeding so much and he said there was a doctor here. Please, _please_ let us in. He's… he's…" He was cut off by the female's now calm voice as she told him to wait for her to come out.

He must have been waiting for forty seconds at the most but it seemed so damn long and why _the hell_ was this girl taking so long? Didn't he tell her that his _best friend was shot_? Damn it, what if this doctor person turned them in? What if this doctor belonged to a rival gang? What if-

The door opened to reveal a female, probably around his age, with long, blonde hair who was wearing a robe and a concerned look directed at Chouji.

"Oh, Chouji… what have you gotten yourself into this time?" She asked no one in particular as she helped Shikamaru carry Chouji inside the house. The house seemed relatively normal and clean, but he would admire at some other time when his best friend was not dying in his arms.

He was a bit wary as to why this girl would know his best friend. Surely they would have met if Chouji knew her. Chouji rarely kept secrets from him, but then again, he knew of this doctor person when Shikamaru did not.

"Please carry him into the fourth room down the hall to your left. The doctor will be there, but I must tell you now that you cannot, _cannot_, speak unless spoken to, otherwise the doctor might not be inclined to help you," the female instructed, and then he carried Chouji to this other room.

When he opened the door, all that greeted him was darkness and a silhouette of a person, presumably the doctor, who sat near the window. He wasn't sure what he was suppose to do since he wasn't suppose to speak.

'_This is all so troublesome. Why isn't the doctor saying anything? Is this person even a doctor or a hack_?'

All he could make out were bright green eyes, which reminded him of another person. He felt a sense of familiarity from the doctor and it eased the tension in his shoulders a bit. Then, it seemed the doctor finally acknowledged his presence and spoke.

"Place Chouji on the mat and leave," the voice commanded. He couldn't even discern if it was female or male, but did as he was told. He gave Chouji a last glance, hoping against hope that he would see his best friend again, before stepping out the door. He fell to the floor and put his face in his hands.

He would never, _ever_ forgive himself if Chouji died. No, Chouji _wouldn't_ die. Chouji wouldn't have told him to go here if Chouji didn't have some trust, some faith in this doctor, right? Chouji knew better than to give his trust away so easily. Especially with their everyday… expeditions.

'_He shouldn't even be here_,' Shikamaru thought, '_I never should have let him join this with me. He would have been safe if it wasn't for me_,' he thought angrily. He knew that Chouji just wanted to try to protect him, even if it meant the cost of his own life. '_How did this even start in the first place?_' But of course he knew. He knew ever since he was eight what he was doing.

It really wasn't supposed to be like this though. When it all started out, it had just been for kicks; to try to be badass with his friends. But that all changed once they were thirteen.

They formed a gang: he, Chouji, and six other boys. He was the strategist among them, along with one other boy who actually shared his intelligence. They named themselves _Shinobi_, because really, weren't ninjas so _awesome_ to a group of eight year olds? '_We just wanted to be recognized for once. We wanted to be _somebodies _instead of _nobodies.'

He knew it was the truth. No one ever paid attention to him because he was always so lazy. No one knew that he acted lazy because he knew that no one cared enough, except for Chouji.

Chouji was always teased for his weight, for being a '_fatass_,' but everyone learned not to say those words to Chouji anymore after he pummeled a boy on the slides. That didn't change much though. Everyone thought that Chouji wasn't much of anything since all he seemed to ever do was eat and watch clouds with Shikamaru. He never tried to defend himself; Chouji didn't really care. Then again, none of them did.

They fit, the two of them. They had been friends since childbirth. Chouji was older than him by four months and could easily sit on if he wanted to, but the thing was that Chouji never would. Chouji was especially kind and Shikamaru took it upon himself to defend him when Chouji would not. With Shikamaru's intellect and Chouji's sheer size, it really wasn't that difficult to render the toughest bullies speechless.

He wasn't sure how long he sat outside that door, but the female from before with the long blonde hair soon sat down next to him and offered him some tea.

"You must be Shikamaru, right? Chouji's best friend?" she asked.

He wasn't sure if he should trust her. He had no idea who she was and Chouji never mentioned knowing any blondes, except for the one in their gang. But if she knew him and Chouji knew of this place, that had to count for _something_, right?

He slowly nodded his head and she offered him a small smile.

"I don't suppose he ever mentioned me, right? Well no, of course he wouldn't," she answered her own question with an airily laugh that seemed so hollow for a reason. "He's told me of you though, of course. It would be impossible not to recognize that hair-do from his descriptions."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at this girl. She was kind of rambling, but he figured it was because she was just as worried as he was for Chouji.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Chouji always said it reminded him of a pineapple."

She gave a small laugh at this and she started wringing her hands together. "Could you maybe… tell me what happened? I know that you're not suppose to, but… could you, please?" she pleaded.

He looked at her and noticed how blue her eyes were (it eerily reminded him of another blonde) and took into account that she was genuinely concerned for his friend. Really, if Chouji could trust her, then he could too. Right?

"We were… we just had a meeting and Chouji and I… were walking home. We thought it would be safe; that no one would be stupid enough to actually…" Shikamaru began with clouded eyes and seemed to be trying to forget. As if explaining everything to this girl would make him forget.

"I never even saw the guy, but Chouji did. Chouji always… he's always had my back. He wanted to join because he wanted to try to protect me. He said that… that we were best friends, and best friends don't… they don't let their best friends die…" Shikamaru paused at that memory.

He remembered Chouji sternly looking at him when he said those words. When they were younger, Chouji really wasn't all that interested in being a _Shinobi_ with him and the other boys. He thought it was rather lame, but went along with it for Shikamaru. Then when they were thirteen and it turned into the real deal, Chouji didn't want to be left in the dark when his friends were risking their lives.

A small hand rest on his shoulder and he looked over to meet the girl's watery eyes.

"It's OK, I think… I think I get the gist of it…"

The two sat there in comparable silence before she gave him a quick fake smile and started talking again.

"I must be such an air-head; I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Yamanaka Ino and well, I've known Chouji for quite some time too," she stuck her hair out and waited for him to take it.

"Nara Shikamaru, but I guess you already knew that," he said as he shook her hand and she gave another of her fake smiles. It reminded him of someone else's fake smiles. "I apologize but Chouji never mentioned you to me."

She gave a sad smile this time and spoke softly, "I know. He said that he wanted to protect me," she scoffed, "as if I couldn't protect myself. But he always talked about you though, and the other boys."

Shikamaru was rather surprised. Chouji trusted her this much to tell her of _them_?

"He said that he wanted me to be his secret, because he was so good at keeping secrets," she laughed a bit at that, "even if he ended up telling me his."

He looked at her and could tell that she probably loved Chouji as much as he did, even if her love was a different kind of love. He didn't claim to be an expert on girls, never had and most likely never will, but it was _obvious_ with her. Is that why Chouji wanted to keep her a 'secret'? Maybe Chouji knew. Maybe Chouji felt the _same_.

It kind of hurt him to know that Chouji never mentioned Ino to him. He knew that if he had a girl hidden somewhere, Chouji would be the first, and probably only, person to know.

"Oh Shikamaru, please don't give me that face," she started and he looked over at her surprised. Was he that easy to read? Or was she talking about something else entirely?

"He wanted to tell you, he really did. But at the same time, he wasn't allowed to. It's… it's one of the rules and he's… he's always been so kind to me and I…" she stopped suddenly and Shikamaru could hear her sniffing a bit.

He wasn't sure what to do. Like he said before, he was no expert. All he could offer her was a shoulder to lean on, to cry on. He still did not understand why Chouji wouldn't tell him, but he would just have to trust Chouji now and question him later.

"Ino? Are… are you alright?" a soft voice called out and he saw another girl standing at the door of the room next to this one. She had short hair that was a mix between purple, indigo, and blue. And those eyes… why did all of these people have qualities that reminded him of his friends?

"Hinata, it's Chouji! He… he was hurt and now…" she started crying a bit harder as this Hinata girl approached her and took Ino into her arms. She started whispering reassurances into Ino's ears and hugging her tightly.

Shikamaru was at a loss of what to do. It felt awkward to be here in their moment when they were both obviously grief stricken. Then, Hinata lifted her eyes to meet Shikamaru's and gave a small smile in appreciation for taking care of Ino until then.

"Thank you, Shikamaru," she whispered out.

He gave her a combination of a smile and a smirk and found himself too tired to do anything else. Too tired to even wonder why she would know his name too. Too tired to ask why there were so many people that Chouji never mentioned to him. Then, a voice sounded through the halls.

"Ino, it's OK," the voice called it, "Chouji's just fine. He's stabilized now and he'll wake up momentarily,"

At the news, both Ino and Hinata hugged each other even harder, if that was possible, and gave such wide grins. Shikamaru was relieved as well, though not as open as they were, and thanked Kami, God, Buddha, whoever the hell was out there for helping the doctor save his best friend.

Ino came over and spoke, "You must be tired, why don't you rest while Chouji recovers?"

Shikamaru nodded and allowed Ino to lead him to a room where he promptly fell on the bed and slept. He dreamed of brighter days where he and Chouji, maybe even those Ino and Hinata girls, would lay down and watch the clouds. He dreamed of nights without the sounds of bullets ricocheting off metal and piercing flesh; without the sight of more corpses and blood.

* * *

The next morning, Shikamaru woke to the sounds of crying and laughing as he made out the time: 7:38 AM. Then in a flash, he remembered last night's, or this morning's, events and rushed out to see Chouji. 

Hinata was standing at a doorway not far from his own and smiling at the occupants inside. He walked over and saw a rather surprising scene.

Chouji was obviously awake and obviously blushing from Ino's closeness as she hugged him. She was crying as she told him that he was such a _baka_ and if, "you ever scare me like that again, I'll make sure to punch you and make it hurt this time!"

Then Shikamaru and Chouji made eye contact and Ino allowed him some room to visit Chouji.

The room was relatively simple with a window adjacent to Chouji's bed and a mini-fridge nearby. Chouji had bandages around his torso and his left arm, but carried with him a smile.

"Morning Shikamaru. Did you being any food with you?" Chouji asked with a grin, and he felt like smiling too at the sheer normalcy of his friend's tone.

"Chouji, why didn't you say something? I would have made you something right away," Hinata spoke quietly and smiled before going down to presumably make Chouji some food.

Ino soon left the room and promised that she would come back later so that the two could talk.

Once the door clicked shut, Shikamaru sat in the chair that Ino just left and just stared at Chouji. He was wondering whether or not to ask Chouji now about this house, this doctor, those girls, but Chouji beat him to it.

"Shikamaru… I know what you're thinking," Chouji began softly, "I met them a few years back. Do you remember the fight with Hebi?"

Of course he remembered. That was the first fight that someone actually managed to shoot him. He had been out for nearly a week resting and when he woke up, Chouji was there smiling down at him with his own arm in a sling.

Chouji never told him what happened, but from the other members Shikamaru gathered that after he was shot, Chouji went on a rampage, injured one of Hebi's men, and chased after the one who shot him. Chouji was gone for a few days and then one day he just appeared. He seemed tired and worn out, but carried no serious injuries save for his arm.

"That day, when I chased after that guy, someone else jumped me, beat me up, and fractured my arm in the process. They ran after that, thinking that I wouldn't be a threat anymore. Then… then the doctor found me in my own blood," he cringed a little at the thought before continuing, "The doctor made me swore to secrecy of the doctor's true identity. Then, the doctor, along with Ino and Hinata, took care of me. I had met Hinata before I met the other two. She went to school with us, Shika."

Shikamaru thought maybe that was why she seemed a little familiar, but at the same time, it didn't make sense to him.

"As far as I know, this place is a safe zone. When I was here, I saw someone from Akatsuki, but they told me that no one was allowed to fight on the doctor's grounds; those are the rules. If you want to be healed, then you have to agree to the rules. The doctor can kill as sure heal," Chouji stated.

Shikamaru started at this. If this was true, then why didn't the other members know? This was something rather _important_ that Chouji _should have_ mentioned to them.

"I know that I've kept a lot from you, Shika, but that was one of the terms. I wasn't allowed to speak of this place unless someone needed help. They didn't want someone who would not abide by the rules to exploit the place."

Shikamaru understood what Ino was talking about earlier now. It wasn't that Chouji didn't _trust_ him, he was just trying to protect everyone else.

"Listen, Shikamaru. The doctor know about everything and everyone. The doctor's one of the most well-informed people here and knows virtually everyone's dirty little secrets."

Shikamaru really did not like the sound of that. If that was true, then this doctor could bring down everyone, including himself, with just a word.

"The doctor wouldn't do anything though. The doctor… the doctor just wants to _help_. The doctor doesn't distinguish between good and bad, but just between living and dying," Chouji took a deep breath, "the doctor is our _friend_, Shikamaru. As much as you, Ino, and Hinata are my friends."

Shikamaru just sat there and processed the information. How could it be that this person who quite literally had the power to stop the viciousness and restlessness of gangs, not do anything but… _heal_?

"Chouji… who _is_ the doctor?" Shikamaru cautiously asked.

"The doctor is… someone who wants to be kept a secret, Shikamaru. Everyone just calls the doctor _Kyuusaisha_, because that's who the doctor is: our savior. As far as I know, only a few people know who Kyuusaisha is, including the people who already live here and me. But I only found out because of luck."

Shikamaru sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Chouji, do you really trust Kyuusaisha?"

"Shikamaru, can't you tell? I trust Kyuusaisha with my **life**."

"Well… why doesn't Ino or Hinata keep their identities a secret?" Shikamaru asked.

"It'd be difficult to take care of everyone if they all had to hide. Gang members get restless, y'know, and everyone wants to be taken care of right away. The girls usually have to placate them or drug them. Plus, they seem to calm down when they see Ino or Hinata.

"Hinata is really caring and her voice is really soothing. I bet you that she could sweet talk anyone from Akatsuki with just her voice and her eyes. Then Ino… she doesn't take crap from anyone," Chouji said with a smile.

"Don't her fool you, Shikamaru. She's one of the toughest girls I have ever met. If someone isn't willing to listen to Hinata, then Ino _makes_ them listen."

Shikamaru found it difficult to believe. The Ino that he met yesterday didn't seem that formidable.

"But I know… that she's just a softie inside, like you are, Shikamaru," Chouji added.

Shikamaru frowned a bit at that. "I am _not_ a softie, Chouji," he stubbornly said.

Chouji just laughed a bit when Hinata opened the door.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Chouji, I made you miso soup. Shikamaru, I made extra for you too. You must be hungry," Hinata said, in that same soft voice and Shikamaru believed Chouji when he said that Hinata could placate any criminal. You just didn't want to hurt her. It probably scarred a few to touch someone so pure.

Shikamaru and Chouji said thank you as she left so that they could eat.

"Do the others know where we are?" Chouji asked.

"No," Shikamaru answered with a contemplative look. "I guess I should contact them… how troublesome."

He fished out his earpiece from his pocket and turned it on.

"Oi, anyone there?"

"Damn it, Shikamaru! Where the hell have you been?! Didn't we tell you never to turn off your earpiece! We thought we lost both you _and_ Chouji!"

"You are so damn _troublesome_. Chouji and I are fine. We're… we'll be back soon enough. Just tell the others not to worry anymore, alright?" Shikamaru answered calmly. There really was no point in getting into a verbal argument with this particular member. It would be too troublesome and he didn't need more troublesome things in his life right now.

"Alright, Shika, I'm trusting you on this. But you gotta explain yourself once you get back."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you in a couple hours."

"Well, I guess you and I are going to get a hero's welcome, Shikamaru. I'll have to ask Kyuusaisha if it will be OK to tell the others about this place."

Shikamaru nodded and the two friends resumed eating the miso soup that Hinata made.

* * *

Shikamaru and Chouji stood outside the Kyuusaisha's door and knocked three times. After a few moments, a voice called out, "Come in." 

Shikamaru gave Chouji a look at how… _weird_ this was, but Chouji just opened the door and walked in with Shikamaru following behind.

The room was the same as the previous night: darkness encompassing the entire room with the figure sitting in front of the window. The only things that were visible were the eyes.

"Chouji, how are you feeling now?" the figure asked.

"I'm feeling a lot better, Kyuusaisha-sama. One of these days, I'm going to take you out to an all you can eat BBQ restaurant as thanks," Chouji replied with a smile, as if he knew the figure for years now. Shikamaru supposed that he _had_.

The figured gave a small laugh and asked, "Did you need to ask something of me, Chouji?"

Chouji nodded and asked, "You, Ino, and Hinata have taken care of me whenever I was hurt for these last few years, and I am eternally grateful for it. I really do not know what would become of me if you hadn't found me that one night.

"You already know that I am a member of the gang _Shinobi_, and I wanted to ask a small favor."

The room was silent as if the figure was deciding whether or not to respond to Chouji's previous statement.

"You want me to open the doors for _Shinobi_," the figured stated more than asked.

Chouji smiled and answered, "Yes. I know that we would all protect you with our lives, Kyuusaisha-sama, in gratitude for your assistance."

The figure laughed and Shikamaru had to wonder why. Chouji and he didn't even discuss this with the other members, but they figured that they would deal with that once the time comes.

"Chouji, you know that I do _need _their protection."

Shikamaru was taken back by this. Did Kyuusaisha really believe that everyone would uphold the house's rules of secrecy when betrayal always lurked around the corner in their lives? Perhaps Kyuusaisha was really a fool.

"No, Nara. I do not trust many of these men," the green eyes averted their gaze to his own. "I am not simply a _doctor_, Nara; I am also a _fighter_."

Really, the occupants of this house had to have some mind-reading trick up their sleeves. How is it that both Ino and Kyuusaisha knew what he was thinking just by looking at him? Chouji knew as well, but it was _Chouji_, so that was a different matter altogether.

The green eyes locked gazes with Chouji again and Kyuusaisha spoke, "My doors have always been open to you, Chouji, and whomever you may associate with. I will be made available to the other six males, if they are inclined to come see me."

Chouji broke out in a grin and nodded indicating that he was content with that.

"If they require my assistance," the figure continued, "then I will lend my expertise. In return, they must abide by the same rules that everyone else does. If they even think about breaking any _one_ of my rules, you know fairly well the punishment, Chouji. You will remain the only exception to that rule," the figure finished.

Chouji nodded and Shikamaru could only watch on in amazement. It was a rarity for Chouji to be this compliant. He wasn't a rule breaker as much as the other boys were, but he didn't like being told what to do either, except when it came to missions.

'_This Kyuusaisha must have a lot of power and influence, as well as Chouji's trust, for him to be acting this way_,' Shikamaru thought.

"Very well, Chouji. Have them meet me here tomorrow night at eleven. Please do not be late," the figure dismissed them and the two left.

Shikamaru and Chouji bid their farewells to Ino and Hinata with a promise that they would return tomorrow night. Chouji and Ino shared a brief hug and Chouji messed up Hinata's hair as someone would do to their little sister.

As they left, Shikamaru couldn't help but think about the situation. He thought the entire ordeal was odd. It was true that fights never occurred around this area, this house, but he never questioned as to _why_. He supposed that Kyuusaisha would dispose of anyone who broke the rules.

Still, how could someone willingly open up their own home to a bunch of criminals with the desire to _heal_? Maybe Kyuusaisha-sama was someone who was trying to repent for his or her own sins. Maybe Kyuusaisha-sama was really an angel, or saint, in disguise. He just hoped that the others would see it the same way.

* * *

**27 January 2008**


	2. The Shinobi Eight

**Summary**: Between gang fights, rival schools, and bloodlust, there's hardly anyone that you can trust these days, except for one person: the doctor. No one has ever seen the doctor face to face, but that doesn't stop them from trusting the doctor with their lives.

* * *

Two days after Shikamaru and Chouji 'disappeared', six males could be seen sitting around the table eating dinner when they heard the door opening.

"It's probably Shikamaru and Chouji," one boy supplied as he studied a caterpillar.

"Hn," a second boy replied as if he was bored.

"Teme, you should really consider expanding your vocabulary," a third boy retorted while shoving more ramen in his mouth.

"Baka, as if _you_ have such a large vocabulary. 'Ramen' probably comes out of your mouth seventy percent of the time," another stated while he tied bandages around his forehead.

"Could you guys please _stop_. I swear you guys act as if you're _married_," another said while trying to sketch the view from the window.

"Oi. We just leave you guys for a day and you're already fighting? And to think we had something that we wanted to talk to you about," Shikamaru said as he entered.

"What the hell happened to you guys? Oi, Chouji, what happened to your arm?" a boy with triangles on his face and fangs in his mouth asked.

"It's nothing, but that's what we wanted to talk to you guys about," Chouji answered.

The other six boys shared a look and then looked at Shikamaru and Chouji urging them to continue.

"There's this… person who is willing to help us. This person has no qualms against us for being in gangs, but there's just one thing," Shikamaru started to say.

The others looked expectedly at Shikamaru trying to guess what he was going to say.

"Every other gang probably knows this person too and this person is willing to help anyone and everyone. This person's house is something akin to a haven; a neutral zone where fighting is not allowed unless you want to die," Shikamaru continued.

Shikamaru and Chouji knew that from the looks in their friends' eyes that they were skeptical about this person and whether or not the aforementioned person's intentions were all that great.

"Well, with that being said, we want you to meet someone," Chouji said, speaking up for the first time.

* * *

Later that night, eight figures could be seen standing in front of a house with a purple door. For a while no one moved and no one spoke; everyone was busy absorbing the severity of the situation that Shikamaru and Chouji placed everyone in.

Each male was clad in a suit complete with slacks, dress shirt, jacket, and tie. Each male had a different colored tie ranging from orange to blue and each bore a look of concentration as they took in the appearance of the house.

"Shikamaru, are you sure this is wise?" a boy clad doning a silver tie that matched his eyes asked.

"Yeah, Neji. Just let Chouji do the talking, OK? If anything, I'll explain afterwards."

Chouji then pushed the button on the intercom and waited for a voice to greet him.

"Please state your name and purpose," a voice rang out.

"Hey Ino, it's Shikamaru and Chouji. We're here for our appointment with Kyuusaisha-sama."

The other six boys wondered at the suffix that Chouji attached to the name as well as the name itself. _Savior_-sama? What kind of name was that? What kind of person were they about to meet?

There was a lapse in time before the door opened and revealed Ino who was properly clothed this time in a purple midriff and skirt. She had bandages running down the length of her thighs, arms, and abdominal area and her hair was done in a simple ponytail. She scrutinized the other size boys before her gaze landed on Shikamaru and Chouji.

In a world where reading actions and glances, basically reading what was underneath, was important, the boys noticed the difference. The girl's gaze was softer on Chouji and she gave him a small smile before returning to her previous business persona.

"Kyuusaisha-sama is in the room straight down the hall. You'll have to pass about seven other doors before you get to it. Please remain quiet for there are other patients who are resting and don't pull any stupid stunts," the girl stated and then opened the door wider for the boys to enter.

The six boys trailed after Shikamaru and Chouji and were still on guard just in case. The house seemed simple enough with a few pictures here and there. Most were of landscapes, flowers, and the city lights. Shikamaru supposed that they were meant to give visiters a sense of peace.

The walls were an off-white, or maybe lavender, color with peaceful undertones. It wasn't stark white like hospitals, which Shikamaru was sure that it would _drive_ more people than beckon.

The place lacked furniature though, Shikamaru mused. The only real furniature that he saw was in the living and in the room that Chouji was staying in the night before.

Chouji soon stopped in front of a door and knocked three times.

"Come in," a voice cried out.

Chouji opened the door and all eight males entered a dark room where a silhouette of a figure sat before them, though a considerable distance away.

"Please, sit," the voice moreso commanded than asked, but everyone complied after seeing Shikamaru and Chouji responding immediately.

"I suppose that you are wondering why you are here," the figure started to say. The voice was as soft as whisper, but it rang clearly in everyone's heads and commanded attention.

The boys chose not to answer but instead ask themselves, '_Who is this person? Can we trust him? Is it even a him, or is it a her_?'

"Chouji came into my home a little over a day ago seeking a refuge from his wounds, which you can see has been taken care of and are healing. Then, Chouji and Nara-san gave me a request of which I consented to."

The other boys gave Shikamaru and Chouji a look that asked them what they had gotten them all into. No one could determine the gender of the figure, as if the figure was hiding it on purpose.

"Do not worry. I know of who you are even if you do not who I am," the figure continued and addressed each male.

"Akimichi Chouji," the boy in his yellow tie smiled.

"Nara Shikamaru," he simply nodded as he tried to fix his purple tie.

"Huuyga Neji," his eyes narrowed and looked even more similar to his silver tie.

"Uchiha Sasuke," he gave no reaction but simply ran his hand through his blue/black that matched his own tie.

"Uzumaki Naruto," he nodded along stupidly while his orange tie stood out against his black and white attire.

"Kara Sai," he gave a smile that was so painfully fake as his last name matched his clothes: black and white.

(**AN**: I know that Sai really doesn't have a last name, but I gave him one anyway. It means 'colorless' since he doesn't really have any color or emotion in him)

"Aburame Shino," his dark sunglasses hid his expression and he merely fingered his green tie.

"And Inuzuka Kiba," his eyes also narrowed at the figure sitting in front of his as the red triangles on his face became more pronounced like his red tie.

"The members of the infamous gang _Shinobi,_" the figure finished.

The boys weren't sure what to make of this. How could this person know their names? No one, absolutely _no one_ knew all of the names of the members. Maybe three or four names, but not all _eight_.

"Who are you? How the hell do you know so much about us?" the aforementioned Kiba asked. Next to him, Shino placed a hand on Kiba's shoulder as Chouji and Shikamaru shook their heads. Didn't he remember that he wasn't suppose to speak? They all awaited what the figure would do now after Kiba's outburst.

"I suppose I owe you an answer to that," the figured mused, "Well, quite simply, I know everything."

The room was eerily quiet after the statement as disbelief and shock ran through each boy, save for Chouji and Shikamaru.

"If you choose not to believe me, then it is your perogative. I know all because I am _exposed_ to it all. I believe that Chouji and Shikamaru have already explained to you the role of my house," only Naruto and Kiba moved their head to the affirmative.

"I am a doctor, no more and no less. I do not take sides in those trivial gang wars or fights. I am merely the person who heals afterwards. I wish to do no harm unless harm is done onto me or my comrades."

The boys still seemed to doubt the words and suspicion rose within each of them. Of course, not even able to identify the person's _gender_ disturbed them. With their skill and expertise for details, why was it so difficult?

"Now Chouji has been somewhat of a regular here at my home for not only his wounds but other things as well," all gazes shifted to Chouji at this statement as Chouji tried in vain to look away and hide his face.

"And now he has asked me to open my home to you as well and heal you whenever you might need it; although, this does come with rules and limitations," the figured continued.

"However, before we begin to speak of the parameters of this agreement, I suspect that a few of you might have questions for me that I should answer," the statement was an open-ended question and it took a few moments before a hand shot up.

The figure looked on amused at the boy with the orange tie who resembled a student more than a vicious gang member at the moment. "Hai, Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto then lowered his hand and grinned sheepishly while rubbing his nape before asking, "Um, well, it would be really awkward to call you 'doctor' all the time. Could we get your name?"

The others were wondering what the doctor's name was as well. It could perhaps reveal if the doctor was a female or male.

"I choose not to give out my real name, for security purposes," Naruto's face fell a bit at the statement, "but you may call me Kyuusaisha-sama or Kyuusaisha if you'd prefer."

"How do we really know that you only want to help us and not turn us in or poison us or something?" Kiba asked.

"I have already told you; I am a doctor and it would be morally wrong for me to use my position to destroy others. As a doctor I am morally inclined to _help_ others who seek my help. If you do not trust me, surely you trust your teammate Chouji who has sought me for the last four years," the doctor replied.

This seemed to sedate the other members since they all knew that the people who Chouji trusted could _really _be trusted no matter what. The doctor _did_ have a point, after all.

"Are you the only person who will treat us, Kyuusaisha-sama?" Shino asked.

"With the more severe and life-threatening injuries then yes. However, if it falls under the lesser categories, there are three other nurses who will assist you. They are also trained and have a medical license to help me. You have already met one, Yamanaka Ino, and you will meet the other before you depart."

"Do you really help everyone who comes through the doors? Do you even expect a payment of some kind from these criminals?" Neji asked condescendingly with a slight sneer in his voice.

"Hyuuga-san, please do not underestimate my abilities," the green eyes flashed before the figure continued, "I help those who will adhere to my rules, which I will give out later. And no, I have never demanded payment from anyone."

"How can you possibly support this refuge then without an income? What makes you think that they would sooner attack you than accept help?" Sasuke asked.

"I may not _demand_ anything from anyone, but that does not stop them from giving it anyway. I am not as noble and humble to reject these gifts. And I see that _Shinobi_ has a habit of downplaying my abilities," the figure added, but without the flash of anger that was directed at Neji.

"I am not simply a _doctor_, Uchiha-san. Trust me when I say that the other nurses and I are perfectly capable of defending ourselves," the doctor finished.

A few more moments passed until Shikamaru spoke up, "Kyuusaisha-sama, could you please tell us the rules now?"

"Of course, Nara-san. First and foremost, this ground and what little area that encompasses it is considered neutral. No bloodshed of any sort is allowed unless it is the aftermath of fighting that began and ended away from these borders.

"If it is discovered that someone has taken my rules lightly and goes against my words, then they will be taken care of immediately. All gang leaders are especially made aware of this rule and cannot seek vengence for those who break it," the doctor gave Sasuke a lingering stare before resuming the oration.

"Secondly, inquiries about my identity or my appearance is prohibited. It is not only to protect myself but those who enter my premises as well. There are gangs who do not seek my help and would rather exploit the information that I carry. I have seen and met many who have shared information knowing that I would never reveal them.

"Thirdly, the other three, and sometimes five, nurses who work besides me are never, ever to be harmed. That is, if you can manage it," the eyes took on another amused look before continuing, "everyone who steps foot on my land is to be treated with respect.

"It does not matter if you have been rivals since you were three or if one person stole your lollipop as a child. All of that is left at the door and everyone is _human_ again.

"Those are my rules. You may take it or leave it, but either way, I will still help Chouji and Nara-san if they need it," the doctor firmly stated. "What is your decision, Uchiha-san?"

They really shouldn't be shocked that Kyuusaisha-sama would know who their leader was, but they still were. Sasuke looked like he was appraising both the person and the offer while the other members shifted their gazes between the two.

The doctor seemed calm and sat still during Sasuke's silent interrogation. The doctor definitely looked amused this time as if taunting Sasuke. '_Would you really pass my offer, Uchiha-san?_' the eyes asked.

"Very well. We will adhere to your rules and come by whenever we feel as if we need your help. However, do we have the reassurance that you will never reveal anything against us?"

"Hai, Uchiha-san. You do not have to fear me unless you break my rules."

A silence ensued afterwards and a knock sounded behind the boys.

"Come in," the doctor stated.

The door opened and a small amount of light filled into the room where a young girl was blocking the rest of the light. She quickly stepped in and closed the door.

"Kyuusaisha-sama, Haku has woken up and is in need of your services," the girl softly stated. Chouji and Shikamaru quickly determined that it was Hinata speaking as Neji was scrutinizing the figure.

"Thank you. Since you are here, please let me introduce the second nurse here. I do believe that you know her, Hyuuga-san, since she is your cousin: Hyuuga Hinata."

A gasp escape Hinata's mouth as she searched the faces for the familiar eyes that were so alike to her own.

'_That's why_,' Shikamaru thought, '_that's why I thought her eyes were so familiar_.'

Neji quickly stood up and approached his cousin who was now slightly trembling.

"Nii...nii-san? Is it... is it really you?" Hinata asked and tears could be made out in the corner of her eyes.

"Hinata-sama...? What are you doing here? I thought you... I thought..." the words were left unfinished as Hinata threw herself at Neji and hugged him for all she was worth. Neji responded a bit slowly but wrapped his arms against his younger cousin.

No one in _Shinobi_ had ever seen Neji express so much... concern and adoration for someone like this before. They were left all surprised, except for the doctor whose eyes turned a softer shade of green.

"Hyuuga-san, you are welcome at anytime to visit Hinata-chan. She has missed you very much these past few years," the doctor offered.

"Hai, arigato, Kyuusaisha-sama," Neji gave a deep bow, gave one last look to his cousin, and bid her farewell as she left.

"Wow, Neji. I thought that you didn't have a family left," the clueless Naruto exclaimed.

"Hinata-sama is the only person I consider as family now, and her younger sister but..."

"You are referring to Hanabi-chan, of course, are you not, Hyuuga-san?" the doctor inquired.

"Hai. Is she also here, Kyuusaisha-sama?" Neji's eyes took on a anxious, questioning gaze as he sought after the last pieces of his family.

"Yes, however at the moment, she is resting. She was up late last night trying to help me with a particular patient."

Neji seemed to deflate at the news that he could not see his baby cousin quite yet, but was glad that she was _here_ and _alive_.

"Now, as you heard earlier, I have a patient to attend to you now. I trust that you can find your way out," the doctor quickly dismissed them.

* * *

The walk from the doctor's house to their own seemed a lot more quiet for the males. Each had split up in order to deter rival gangs from jumping them since a group of eight would be a lot more suspicious than a four pairs of two.

* * *

**With Naruto and Sasuke**

"Hey teme."

"Hn."

"What do think of this Kyuusaisha-sama? Do you think he's a good person?"

"What makes you think it's a female, dobe?"

"Well I mean there's three, sometimes five, other girls in the house, right? So that means that the doctor has to be a stud to keep them all there."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's logic but couldn't stop himself from wondering who this doctor could possibly be.

"And you know our reputation with girls, Sasuke-teme," Naruto continued. "Any female within a mile radius would swoon or stampede us if they knew where we were. The doctor didn't even react when we all walked in. C'mon, Sasuke, even _you_ have to admit that that would be weird for a girl not to do."

OK, Sasuke had to admit that Naruto had a point. Sadly, they did acquire some... _fangirls_, he shuddered at the mere thought of them, that would not leave them alone when they went back to their 'normal' lives.

"Dobe, Ino and Hinata didn't react that way when they saw us either. I bet that they're all used to it since males go in and out of their house everyday to be healed."

Naruto made a face at Sasuke's logic, but he still had one more point to make.

"OK, how about this. He said that he could definitely defend himself if something happened. I don't know about you, but I think that _that_ proves he's a dude," Naruto finished with crossed arms as if he solved the secrets of the universe.

"Dobe. Don't let TenTen or Temari hear that or you're definitely going to need to visit the doctor soon," Sasuke said with a smirk.

Naruto paled a bit at the mention of TenTen and Temari. TenTen was a member of a gang called _Kunoichi_: a gang that balanced out _Shinobi_. TenTen was basically the go-between the two gangs since _Shinobi_ didn't know any other female who was a member of the gang.

They were allies ever since _Shinobi_ started and it helped that Neji and TenTen were friends to make sure that they would _stay_ allies.

Seriously though, TenTen scared Naruto a little. She always had some sort of weapon on her even if you couldn't see it. Once she pulled out a katana out of no where. It was like it appeared out of thin air.

Not to mention her aim was _scary_ accurate. She probably wouldn't even miss if she was blindfolded, drunk, and dizzy. Sometimes when she was angry at Naruto, she would let loose a couple daggers and such. Even though Naruto knew she wouldn't actually hit him, he couldn't help but yelp each time.

Sabaku no Temari was, if it was possible, even scaried than TenTen. Half of the time Naruto wondered if she could qualify as a female. She probably had more testosterone in her body than Naruto did, quite frankly.

She has this thing with fans and she was smart too. She wasn't Shikamaru smart, because that would be even worse, but smart enough. She could figure out how to use the wind to her advantage in less than five seconds and make you hurt for five _days_.

She was a member of the _Suna_ gang with her brother as leader. He met her siblings and they were just as weird as she was.

Gaara could go on a rampage if you just _looked_ at him the wrong way. Kankuro was kind of metro, in Naruto's opinion. The guy wore _make-up_ and played with _dolls_, for goodness sakes! It didn't matter if Kankuro kept saying that they were _puppets_ and not dolls. They were inanimate objects that resembled humans all too much for his liking.

He liked Gaara enough though. They were pretty close and it was even better that they were allies. And secretly, he thought that Shikamaru and Temari had a thing for each other. He wasn't as dumb as he looked. Sometimes.

"Yeah well, I could totally take them on!" Naruto responded.

Sasuke just shook his head and muttered a, "Dobe."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, TEME?!"

* * *

**27 January 2008**


	3. What If

**Summary**: Between gang fights, rival schools, and bloodlust, there's hardly anyone that you can trust these days, except for one person: the doctor. No one has ever seen the doctor face to face, but that doesn't stop them from trusting the doctor with their lives.

* * *

**With Shikamaru and Chouji**

The two walked in silence after they departed from their friends. One was still trying to process the last three days while the other was waiting for his friend to speak up like he knew that he would.

"Chouji?"

"Hm?"

"Why didn't you ever tell me about Ino? I know that you weren't suppose to tell me about the doctor or the house, but you could have told me about Ino."

Chouji didn't knw what to say to that, he really didn't. Shikamaru was usually the one who smooth-talked their way out of a sticky situation. Chouji plainly sucked at thinking on his feet, so he went with what he actually felt.

"Well... I didn't want to."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at his best friend's response.

"I thought that... I thought that you'd laugh at me, or the other guys would. All of you always get a girl to latch onto your arms, y'know. I'm usually the one who gets the leftovers; the one who the girls use to get to the rest of you."

Shikamaru knew that there was some truth in Chouji's words. '_Females can be so cruel, especially to someone as nice as Chouji_.'

"What makes you think that Ino isn't the same?"

"She isn't."

Chouji sounded so firm and confidant in his answer. Shikamaru wasn't sure whether or not he should be happy for Chouji or concerned at his blindness. If Kyuusaisha knew everything about everyone, then maybe Ino did too. Maybe Ino had wanted to use Chouji to get to one of them.

Females were always fickle and troublesome. He learned that at a young age.

"She really isn't like the other girls, Shikamaru. She... she _cares_ for me. You know how Kyuusaisha-sama said that she usually only treats the really bad injuries?"

Shikamaru nodded as he waited for his friend's explanation.

"Ino was always the one who helped me. She _wanted_ to help me. She never made fun of me or made any remarks about my weight. For four years, sometimes I'd come just to visit them, to visit Ino. It feels like I've known her for so much longer. As long as I've known you."

Shikamaru wasn't sure what to say to Chouji at this point. Chouji sounded so earnest and Shikamaru was beginning to believe in the feelings that Chouji held for Ino, and what he knew that Ino held for him.

"She's really into flowers and once after I got a cut on my leg and it got infected - it was seriously disgusting - she brought me a bouqet and told me that each flower had a meaning behind it."

_That_ sounded seriously girly.

"It was filled with alyssums, ambrosia, and some fennel or something. But she wouldn't explain to me what they meant."

'_Typical. Of course the girl wants the boy to put some work into it_,' Shikamaru thought.

"I found out that she wanted to tell me that I was something _beyond_ beautiful; that she saw my _inner_ beauty. I know, I know it's really cheesy. Stop giving me that look."

True, Shikamaru had given something close to a 'what the hell?' look but let his friend continue.

"That the love I feel for her isn't unrequited and that she thought I was so strong. That I had some hidden strength left within me and that was better than what those guys who always flex have."

OK, Shikamaru had to admit that that was kind of cool for her to do. He knew that Chouji had always been insecure about himself, especially around Sasuke, Neji, or even Sai.

"That's when I knew that I couldn't love anyone like I love her, Shikamaru. I'm in love with Yamanaka Ino, and that's OK."

Silence reigned between the two before Shikamaru finally spoke. "Well, Chouji, she does seem nice enough, even if she's troublesome. That night when you... when Kyuusaisha-sama was taking care of you, I could tell that she loves you too, y'know."

Chouji smiled at hearing that and Shikamaru felt compelled to continue.

"We always said that we'd find some troublesome girls and settle down into our troublesome lives. I just never thought that you'd find your troublesome girl before I did."

Chouji laughed and Shikamaru could only stare at him and question his friend's sanity.

"Shikamaru, drop the act. I know that you already found your troublesome girl."

Chouji gave Shikamaru a knowing smile while the latter just stared. Again.

"What are you talking about, Chouj? There isn't a single girl that I'm slightly interested in."

"Riiiight. What about..." Chouji paused for dramatic affect, "Sabaku no Temari?"

Shikamaru prompted felt his ears turn pink and he turned his head away to cough. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yeah, yeah. You've always found girly girls disgusting and now you've found this kickass girl and you're in denial? You know that it will only be even more troublesome if you do that."

Shikamaru refused to answer and he and Chouji stayed quiet for the rest of the journey home.

* * *

**With Kiba and Shino**

"Can you seriously believe that? How could someone just... no, it's gotta be a joke. How could that '_doctor_' person even be serious?! Doesn't even _look_ like a saint or anything. 'Help us just to help us!' That has fake written all over it! Right, Shino?"

The boy just continued walking and asking himself, '_Why did I agree to walk with Kiba again? I knew that it would be, dare I say it, troublesome. Damn it. Oh, he's looking at me, I suppose I should answer_'

"No, Kiba."

"NANI?! You actually believe the crap that the doctor was spewing?" Kiba asked with an incredulous look on his face.

"Kiba, what reason do you have to _not_ believe the doctor's words?"

"For one thing, I couldn't tell if it was a male or female. If Akamaru was here, I'm sure he could tell."

"I'm not sure about that, Kiba. Not even the bugs could tell. The doctor was some... mechanism that prevents us from knowing. The doctor is definitely smarter than he, _or she_," Shino quickly added, "looks."

'_And that_,' Shino thought, '_was even more dangerous than Akatsuki, Hebi, and Oto combined since the doctor knows _everything_ about them too_.'

"I... guess. Still though, I wonder how she knew so much about us."

"Like the doctor said, information goes in and out of that house on a regular basis. I'm sure even men of stature would feel compelled to say something under the guise of death," Shino concluded. Of course, he didn't add in the possibility that perhaps the doctor drugged them for the information.

"Even so, what makes you think that the doctor is a female, Kiba?"

"Isn't it totally obvious?"

Shino gave Kiba a look that said, '_No, it isn't totally serious_.'

"Well, consider this. All these criminals are always there right? And most of the criminals are males. I don't think that they would just bow down to a male barking out instructions and... _touching_ them everywhere," Kiba shuddered at his own imagination as Shino rolled his eyes, which went unseen behind his sunglasses.

"Besides, I don't think that Ino, Hinata, or that Hanabi chick would stick around with a male doctor unless they were getting some."

At that remark, Shino promptly smacked Kiba upside the head.

"Ow! What?! I'm being totally serious."

"Kiba, don't you remember Hinata-sama? She wouldn't be that type of person. She went to school with us all those years ago before we met Neji-san, remember?" Shino asked.

Kiba gave Shino a blank look as he was trying to recall that timid little girl with the silver eyes in his memory banks.

"Well... I remember back in what, third grade?, that there was always some little girl that everyone else picked on."

"Yes, that was Hinata-sama. And while _you_ always played fetch with Akamaru, _I_ actually tried to help her."

Kiba looked blankly at Shino again. Why didn't he notice his best friend leaving his side to defend some girl? No, going _near_ a girl period? Shino wasn't exactly the most social person that you'd meet and felt less inclined to meet new people that he didn't have to or that Kiba didn't introduce him to.

"Then why didn't you say anything when she came in?"

They walked a bit more in silence before Shino answered him.

"Hinata-sama needed a moment with Neji-san. I would not want to come between them while they shared a familial moment."

Kiba considered this and it _did_ make sense to his puny brain. Shino really wasn't the type of person to try to intrude on someone else's parade. He thought he felt Shino stiffen a bit when the doctor called out Hinata's name, but he thought nothing of it at the time.

"Do you know her little sister too then? Hanabi or whatever?"

"I only know of her. Hinata-sama often spoke of her whenever we would converse."

Again, Kiba was dumbfounded that these moments had slipped past his knowledge. What other secrets was Shino hiding from him? Was it possible that Hinata was Shino's first crush or something?

"No, Kiba. It was a relatively short friendship. I am not hiding anything else and no, I never felt attached to her in the way that you are thinking of," Shino answered.

Kiba scrunched his face at his best friend's uncanny ability to discern what he was thinking. Really though, he shouldn't be surprised. Naruto and Sasuke had that ability, and Chouji could usually tell what Shikamaru was thinking, except for those really complicated plans.

Kiba could only read Shino a few times since he always had those damn sunglasses on, but Shino read Kiba like a book most of the time. Then Sai and Neji were a completely different story.

Sai and Neji weren't best friends, far from it. If anyone were to relate to Sai, it would be Naruto and Sasuke since they had worked together before. Neji though... his best friend was someone else who wasn't associated with _Shinobi_.

Shino always made it clear not to ask Neji of his past because it was always troubled. It had to be if he didn't even know that his two younger cousins were alive until today.

"Then what was she to you, Shino?"

"I already told you, we were friends, Kiba. She was probably the first female that I bothered to befriend until she moved away unexpectedly," Shino answered as he reflected on the years gone by.

Hinata-sama and he would often go to the park because it was where she liked to be most. She would usually insist - well not really, more like plead with her eyes or guilt him - to go on the swings. Sometimes Shino would push her and sometimes they'd swing together.

Then one afternoon, Hinata showed up rather late. If it was one thing that Shino knew about Hinata was that she was _never_ late. She said that it made her feel bad for making someone else wait for her. Plus, she was crying.

Between broken sobs, Hinata told Shino that her father was making her move because of something or other. All Shino processed was that Hinata was _leaving_. No, he never liked her in _that_ way, but he always thought of Hinata as the little sister that he always wanted.

As she continued crying, all Shino could do was hug her and promise her that he would find her one day. He would build her a swing set and they could talk and play all she wanted.

He never found her, until today.

* * *

**With Sai and Neji**

You couldn't exactly say that Sai and Neji didn't like each other. After forced companionship for the last maybe ten years or so, even the most unlikely people grow on you.

Well, maybe the first three years were spent on trying to ignore and/or destroy each other, but _now_ they could tolerate each other.

They would never be best friends, because Sai's best friend died a long time ago and Neji's... well, Neji's best friends were a bit too weird to speak of often. One of them didn't agree with Neji's lifestyle, but still remained friends, while the other was the opposite of Neji in nearly every single way.

"Hey princess, what do you think of that doctor?" asked Sai.

Princess because of his hair. He probably took more care of it than most girls. He was very, _very_ meticulous about it.

"I don't know, Barbie, what do you think?" retorted Neji.

Barbie because of his personality. Sai was one of those few people who could be completely apathetic and unfeeling, in other words: plastic. It didn't help the fact that he usually liked to flaunt his abs too with short shirts.

Nope, definitely never best friends. Could they even qualify as friends? I guess, if you categorized their friendship as a love/hate one.

"I think that the doctor could be everyone's undoing," Sai sagely stated.

Neji wasn't sure of what to make of this and waited for the boy to continue.

"The doctor knows everything, sees everything, could destroy everything. Your cousin mentioned Haku's name. He's a member of the _Misu_ gang and very, very dangerous."

Neji considered Sai's words and saw that they held truth. The doctor very well _could _see to their end, to his own end. He would have to make sure not to get on the doctor's bad side anytime soon.

"Who knows what other dangerous criminals are lurking around in that house. I wonder what those girls have to do to calm the criminals down."

Sai couldn't have known what that sentence would trigger in Neji. Neji really didn't want to think of Hinata-sama or Hanabi-sama doing... impure things for that doctor. What did Hinata-sama know about the doctor anyway? She had always been a little too trusting and he always feared for her safety.

Neji's jaw clenched and his hands formed fists as he thought of his cousins' safety in that house. Why were they there in the first place? Did the doctor blackmail, bribe, kidnap them? Where was Hisashi-sama in all this? Did _he_ give his daughters over to this doctor? What if the doctor actually used them as labrats? What if...?

But... didn't the doctor say that if anything, they could defend themselves? That had to include Hinata-sama and Hanabi-sama, right? And Hinata-sama looked alright, although shocked to see him. He could always read Hinata-sama, and not once did she give off a '_save me_' vibe or anything of the sort. He would trust the doctor... for now, because his cousins did.

"They probably drug the criminals to get them to calm down. Like morphine or something of the like," Neji supplied. He would not consider any other possibility.

"I suppose that could be it, Princess," Sai answered with his fake smile.

Neji wasn't bothered by the smile anymore. He knew that it wasn't intentional; it was the only way that Sai knew how to smile.

And Sai wasn't bothered by Neji's coldness anymore as well. He was used to it by now. He had Sasuke to practice on, after all. Plus, he could still read Neji sometimes even though he tried so hard to hide his true emotions.

He knew after he had mentioned the girls' state of being in that house, that Neji would react in some way. He saw what transpired between Neji and the young female Hyuuga. He knew that Neji had a heart in that body somewhere, no matter how small.

As for himself... he had a heart literally speaking, but metaphorically... he wondered if someone _stole_ it from him. He read it in books all the time where a boy would tell a girl that she had 'stolen his heart.' Perhaps his mother had stolen it from him when he was child? Or his best friend had taken it with him when he died?

Whatever the reason was and wherever his heart was now, he still strived to feel _human_. He had always questioned the state of his humanity, and it became increasingly easier - though probably not easy enough - to feel with Naruto and Sakura's help. Speaking of Sakura, when was the last time that he saw her?

* * *

**27 January 2007**


	4. If Only

**Summary**: Between gang fights, rival schools, and bloodlust, there's hardly anyone that you can trust these days, except for one person: the doctor. No one has ever seen the doctor face to face, but that doesn't stop them from trusting the doctor with their lives.

* * *

_Shinobi_ had three places - well, now four - where they felt safe in: their meeting house, their actual house, the _Kunoichi_'s meetinghouse, and the doctor's house.

The first place, of course, was where they held all of their meetings at. However, the meetinghouse was something of a _mock_ meetinghouse. They usually planned out everything they needed at their actual house in the basement that Shikamaru had custom built and altered. The meetinghouse was just for show in case someone was trying to eavesdrop on their plans. They were usually just hoaxes and fake plans that would end up infuriating the enemy. It always worked.

The _Kunoichi_ meetinghouse, on the other hand, was the real thing. No one else besides _Kunoichi _and _Shinobi_ members knew of the meetinghouse location because the females would always manage to cover it up somehow. It might have something to do with their informant, Yuuhi Kurenai. She was a specialist in illusions and tricking people into seeing what wasn't there. She was also married to Sarutobi Asuma - _Shinobi_'s informant and confidant to Shikamaru and Chouji before he passed away.

_Shinobi_ and _Kunoichi_ often collaborated together on missions and shared whatever information they had, except for one thing: their identities. The only person in _Kunoichi_ that they knew of was TenTen, and that was only because she and Neji were the link between the two gangs. _Kunoichi_ was fiercely feminine and independent of males. Sure, they worked with _Shinobi_ from time to time, but often more than not, they seemed reluctant.

_Shinobi_, though, could never figure out where the _Kunoichi_ house was. Even Shikamaru was at a loss for its location. They weren't doing it in hope of turning against the gang, on the contrary. They were doing it out of curiosity. After all, the _Kunoichi_ knew the location of both their meeting place (no matter how fake it was) and their actual house.

However, after a few dozen failed attempts, they let the _Kunoichi_ keep another secret.

Now they had the doctor's house where they could send their injured, weary, and near-dead. They could only hope that the house and its occupants would not turn against them.

* * *

After everyone had arrived back at the house safe and sound, they began to discuss the recent turn of events.

"Well, teme and I agreed that the doctor was probably a male," Naruto began to say.

"Dobe, leave me out of it. I didn't agree to anything," Sasuke scoffed as Naruto glared at his so-called best friend who wouldn't even have his back.

"I think that the doctor's a chick, and a hot one at that," Kiba interjected.

"Kiba, you are so gross," Naruto replied.

"It doesn't matter the _gender_ of the doctor. What matters is what we're going to do now that the doctor is our... '_ally_' so to speak," spoke Neji.

"Exactly. Did anyone gather anything about the doctor, besides the possible gender," Sasuke added after seeing both Naruto and Kiba raising their hands and opening their mouths to answer.

"The only thing I noticed were the green eyes and the small form," noted Sai.

Shino nodded with his statement and said, "The eyes are very similar to Gaara-san."

"You don't think that it could be Gaara do you?" questioned Naruto.

"Baka, Gaara would rather harm than heal," reprimanded Neji.

"The small form could indicate that the person is a female," supplied Shikamaru, "either that or a very small male."

"Chouji, you met the doctor before, right? Can't you tell us?" asked Kiba.

Chouji's brows drew together. He knew that the doctor swore him to secrecy and really, the doctor was his friend too. On the other hand, these seven boys were his closest and best friends.

"Guys... you know that I'm not suppose to say, and you're not suppose to ask," answered Chouji. "Besides you really, _really_ don't want to know," Chouji said in a sense of finality.

"Really? But, why? It's someone from another gang, isn't it? I knew it was too good to be true!" yelled Naruto.

"Naruto, calm yourself," scolded Sasuke. "Chouji... it's someone we all know, isn't it?"

Chouji couldn't bring himself to look Sasuke in the eyes; couldn't bring himself to answer. Shikamaru hadn't wanted to question him on their journey walk to save Chouji this awkwardness. But he inwardly knew that they would raise the question anyway once they arrived.

Chouji really didn't want to answer. How could he betray someone who saved his life and his livelihood over and over again? However, Chouji's lack of answer was enough of an answer.

"I see," Sasuke said solemnly. "It's her, isn't it?"

"Her?! See, I told you that it was a chick!" Kiba shouted out as Naruto deflated.

Chouji finally looked up and met Sasuke's eyes. "Hai."

Then slowly, Neji, Sai, Shino, and Shikamaru figured out who they were talking about.

"So... that's what happened to her. I'm glad that Hinata-sama is in good hands," Neji said.

"I was starting to worry that she'd get into more trouble, I guess I was right after all," Sai added with one of his fake smiles.

"Hm... it does make sense," Shino mused.

"She just had to be troublesome again, didn't she," Shikamaru sighed.

"But why didn't she say anything when she saw us though? And where has she been all this time?" asked Sai as he looked to Sasuke.

However, Sasuke kept his head down as his bangs covered his face. He placed his fingers, interlaced, beneath his chin and began to think.

Naruto and Kiba could just look on without a clue because no one bothered to clue them in.

"Er, guys?" Kiba started to ask, "Who are you talking about?"

Naruto was curious too, since his idea of a _male_ doctor was already killed.

"Dickless, can't you tell?"

Naruto scowled at the nickname but shook his head no.

"Haven't you wondered where Ugly has been lately?"

Slowly, recognition showed on both Naruto and Kiba's face. Naruto showed more shock and disbelief while Kiba was just plain embarrassment for thinking of that way of her.

"...Sakura-chan?"

* * *

"Now Haku, I just finished stitching your side up so please try not to move too much, alright?"

"Hai, Kyuusaisha-sama. Arigato."

"Think nothing of it," then the figure left the room that Haku occupied.

The figure stood outside the door for a moment contemplating the role that this 'doctor' now took. It hadn't always been this complicated. Before it was just a whim, a dream to help others, and now it escalated this far.

Taking a deep breath, the figure - clad in a black robe that covered the entire body and even dragged a bit on the floor, a scarf that covered the lower portion of the face, and a large hat covering the upper portion - promptly climbed the stairs to see how Hanabi-chan was doing.

Tonight wasn't as bad as previous ones where no one could get any sleep and was running back and forth between rooms.

_If only..._

The figure passed doors with engravings of a pig, a sun, and clouds until finally reaching a door with an engraving of fireworks on the door. Not bothering to knock, the figure simply walked in and approached the bed where Hanabi was reading another book.

(**AN**: Ino means pig, Hinata means something like sunrise, Ten meant heaven, and Hanabi meant fireworks. TenTen was actually a phrase and a picture just couldn't describe it)

"Hanabi-chan, are you feeling better now?" the figure questioned in a soft voice, though not as soft as Hinata-chan's.

"Hai! I'll be able to help you again tomorrow," Hanabi beamed.

The figure's eyes softened at the adopted little sister and replied, "Good, I miss your cheerfulness down there. Oh, and I have news for you."

"What is it, what is it?" the immature part of Hanabi surfaced as well as her curiosity at the news.

"Do you remember your nii-san? Hyuuga Neji?"

"Oh... only a little bit. Sometimes when Hinata-nee-chan tells me stories of the family, he's in it too. She told me once when she wanted found a mother bird being chased by a cat, she begged Neji-nii-san to save it and he did!

"Hinata-nee-chan told me that that was probably one of the nicest things that she ever saw him do," Hanabi recited.

_If only..._

The figure laughed at Hanabi's enthusiasm and asked, "Well, do you know who came here today?"

Hanabi shook her head and couldn't find it in herself to connect the dots together.

"Your nii-san was here while you were sleeping. He promised that he would visit again tomorrow to see you," the figure reported with a straight back and earnest eyes.

"Really?! Nii-san was here?! NO WAY!" Hanabi exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement. "What was he like? Tell me pleaseee?" Hanabi begged.

Hanabi heard a small giggle and saw her nee-chan at the doorway. "Hinata-nee-chan! Is it true? Was Neji-nii-san here? Oh, please tell me; I want to know everything!"

"Hinata, I'll leave you to tell the details, OK?"

_If only..._

Hinata nodded as the figure, as _her kyuusaisha_, left. Hinata went over to Hanabi's bed and began to retell the adventures of earlier that night.

* * *

As the figure stood outside the door contemplating, Ino bounded up the stairs in a hurry.

"There you are! I was wondering where you were. They're here. Again."

The figure quirked an eyebrow when Ino said '_again_.' That could only mean that either _Shinobi_ was here, or the members _Kunoichi_.

"Very well, which room did you tell them to meet me in?"

"Well... that's the thing. They're _outside_ waiting for you."

The eyebrow went even higher. "And who exactly is waiting for me?"

Ino fidgeted a little before she slowly answered, "Um... well... _Shinobi_ is, and TenTen too. And the thing is, they didn't ask for _Kyuusaisha_."

"Who did they ask for?"

"They only said... tell **her** to come down and talk to us."

The figured gave a long exhale before motioning Ino to follow.

"Do you think we should have Hinata and Hanabi come with us since... you know..." Ino trailed off.

Ino was right. If anything, they should all go out and confront them. Honestly, it was tiring trying to evade them all the time. Secrets were hard and tiring to keep. It would be better to let it out now, right? '_Hopefully_.'

_If only..._

Ino went back and asked both Hinata and Hanabi to come downstairs with her. They followed the black clad figure until they were near the living room, or rather, the waiting room.

"Are you sure... you want to do this?" Hinata asked.

"It's now or never, right? Maybe TenTen will make this easier," answered the figure.

Hanabi was waiting in anticipation in finally meeting _Shinobi_ and her nii-san. She never actually knew Neji-nii-san, just what Hinata could tell her. She was far too young to remember much when they had left so suddenly.

Hinata was nervous as to what her nii-san would say to _this_. Neji-nii-san had always looked out for her, whether or not he wanted to, and she wasn't sure if he approved of this. Wasn't sure if he would look down at her with disappointment or look at her with pride. She was sure that it wouldn't be the latter. There was nothing to be proud about.

Ino was putting on a brave front, but inwardly she wondered what Chouji would think of this. Sure, he saw Kyuusaisha's face before... but still. This was epic news. No one was ever supposed to find out. It was their secret - Hinata, Hanabi, and hers. Being the girls that they were, keeping secrets could prove to be very difficult, but they kept it nonetheless. And now they were going to blurt it out in such an unceremonious way?

True, they never did plan if and when they would reveal the truth... so this made it all the more nerve wrecking. '_Okaa-san, what would you say to me now_?'

The figure that stood at the forefront stood there motionless for a moment before turning around to address the three females.

_If only_...

"You know how serious this is. We never expected that this would happen, least of all, now. For all we know, they are referring to Hinata and Hanabi and Neji is just extra anxious to see you again."

Hinata and Hanabi shared a look at the possibility of it all. They missed their Neji-nii-san as well.

"That being said, I think the first think that should be addressed if your reunion with your nii-san, OK?" the figure asked with a smile laced in the tone.

"However, besides that, _do not_ say a word as to what goes on around here. I will decide how much they will be allowed to know."

Then, without another word, the figure turned around, walked into the living room, and waited for the _Shinobi_'s judgment.

_If only_...

* * *

"Are you guys sure that this is a good idea?" asked Kiba.

"Yes. We need to confirm our findings," answered Shino.

"But did you guys need to drag ME along?!" screamed a frustrated TenTen.

Honestly, couldn't a girl go to the grocery store to buy some ingredients to make tempura _without_ being manhandled?! '_They weren't even nice enough to ask me if I _wanted_ to go. They just _demanded_ that I follow them, and I _really_ don't have a good feeling about this_,' thought TenTen.

"Of course we did, woman," replied Neji.

TenTen then proceeded to glare at her '_best friend_.' Considering that it was he who dragged her here, she wasn't very happy with him at the moment.

"Would you guys settle down? I'm sure that they'll be at any moment," commented Shikamaru.

Chouji was fidgeting in this seat between Shikamaru and Shino. He couldn't find it in himself to deter them from their goal because he didn't _know_ how. Like he said, he was really bad at thinking on his feet. He just mindlessly followed his teammates while trying to convince himself that the doctor would not punish him. It wasn't his fault, after all. His teammates were awfully smart for boys. And then, a thought struck him.

'_What if the doctor thinks that I only asked for the favor so that it would lead to this? That wouldn't happen... right? Out of everyone, the doctor should know that I'm absolutely horrible at lying, and thinking. Oh but... the doctor _**does**_ have a nasty temper half of the time. I'm in deep shit, aren't I? Oh crud. Damn, damn, damn_.'

Shikamaru could see Chouji wrestling with himself and couldn't decide on being amused or guilty. Perhaps he should have warned Chouji of the very possible encounter once they were home. Perhaps he could have helped Chouji devise some sort of plan to avoid this altogether. Maybe.

All the while, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai sat in silence and waited for the arrival of the doctor and the three, maybe five this time?, nurses.

Naruto wasn't used to sitting down in one place for a long period of time. Especially right now. Not with the news that the others just gave him. Could it be true? Could it be...?

Sai wasn't even drawing. His face showed no glimpse of his fake smile but rather a straight line. Naruto and Sasuke could tell that Sai was deep in thought. The only time that Sai was feeling something was the only time that his face wouldn't show anything.

Sasuke, on the other hand, just stared blankly at the wall opposite of his seat acting bored and too cool as always. It didn't seem like the situation was affecting him at all, but Naruto knew better. He _definitely_ knew better. He wasn't sure what caused Sasuke to act the way he did, but it was something that he'd never forget.

Naruto shook his head to clear himself of the memory when he felt that someone else, someone new was in the room with the _Shinobi_ (plus TenTen).

That was when Sasuke finally snapped his eyes up and finally showed some emotion, even if it was a small one and even if Naruto was the only one who could tell. Sasuke was... _worried_ and quite possibly _remorseful_ as he stared into the figure's green eyes.

_If only_...

* * *

The room was silent with the appearance of the four figures. Hanabi was the first person to break the stillness of the room as she lunged at Neji and tackled him into a hug.

Kiba was slightly squished as Hanabi kind of shoved into him as well to hug Neji, but he wouldn't have interrupted this moment for all the money in the world. Not when Neji was this happy; happier than he's ever seen him before.

"Hanabi-chan..?" Neji whispered out, clutching onto his baby cousin.

"Neji-nii-san! Hinata-nee-chan, it's him! It's really him!" Hanabi cried out with small tears in the corner of her eyes.

Hinata began slightly tearing up too as she watched her younger sister embrace their cousin who acted more like their older brother, and someone uncle, to them. She couldn't help the smile that crept onto her face as she looked on at the scene. She already had her 'reunion' with nii-san, it was Hanabi's turn.

Then, a movement near the two caught her attention. Her eyes widened as she looked at the familiar face of her first best friend - that wasn't related by blood.

"...Shino?" Hinata whispered out.

Shino stood and slightly nodded his head, "Hinata-sama, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

This time, Hinata really did begin crying and quickly walked over to Shino and hugged him.

Now _this_ was a surprise to every male in the room. Neji was hugging this young girl as if letting go would _kill_ him and he was smiling. Hyuuga Neji was smiling! OK, it was a tiny smile and had traces of a smirk, but he was truly _happy_.

Then, you have Shino actually touching, no hugging, a girl who was hugging him back. You couldn't actually see Shino's face, save for his nose, but anyone could tell that he was happy to see Hinata again.

At the doorway, both of the figures smiled at the sight of their friends so happy and couldn't help but feel happy for them too.

_If only_...

'_They deserve this more than anyone_,' thought Ino.

No one wanted to break the happiness that practically glowed from the four teens and everyone was content to let them have their moment. Slowly, Hinata pulled back and smiled so brightly at Shino that you could actually see his corners of his mouth over his trench coat.

(**AN**: I forgot to mention that, didn't I? Well, as well as the slack, tie, dress shirt, and jacket, Shino wears a black trench coat because he's too uber cool to _not_ have one.)

"Shino...?" Hinata started.

"Hai, Hinata-san?"

"Did you ever build me that swing set?" Hinata asked as she looked up at Shino with a smile on her face.

"Hai, Hinata-san. It's in the backyard."

'_So _that's_ why he insisted on building it_,' the members of _Shinobi_ thought.

"Nii-san, you're not going to leave are you?" asked Hanabi with wide, puppy-dog-ish eyes.

Neji chuckled as he ruffled Hanabi's hair and answered, "Never again, Hanabi-sama."

"Good, because then I'd have to hurt you," Hanabi replied with mock seriousness that caused the entire room to burst into laughs, giggles, or silent chuckles.

"Neji! Why didn't you tell me that your cousin was so cute?!" Naruto exclaimed as he stood close to Hinata and tried to get a peek at her face since she was hiding in Shino's hug.

"Uzumaki. Step. Away. Now," the voices of Shino and Neji commanded.

Cowering in fear, Naruto quickly took his seat next to Sasuke and Sai again.

_If only_...

Sasuke quietly cleared his throat, but it managed to get everyone's attention. Hinata quickly went to stand by Ino again with a red blush on her face, but Hanabi stubbornly refused to leave Neji's side. She yelled that, "Now that I found him, I dare any _one_ of you to try to take him away from me!"

Hinata could only smile and shake her head at her younger sister's antics, but Neji and Kiba were content in making room for her to sit down with them.

Then, all gazes landed on the figure still standing in the doorway. Chouji, being nervous as he was, tried to speak.

"Um... Kyuusaisha-sama, I know that this looks bad but... honestly, I didn't say a thing! They just figured-"

"Chouji, I know," the figure interrupted in the same soft voice. "It's OK, you don't have to pain yourself over this anymore."

At the reassurance, Chouji immediately felt better that the doctor did not think that he betrayed the rules of the home. He really didn't feel like dying just quite yet. At least not until he saw that he and Ino were married and had at least two rascals running around their house with Shikamaru and hopefully Temari visiting their home with their own kids.

"I suppose you came here to interrogate me again?" the figure asked.

No one said anything for the longest time. They just... stared.

_If only, if only, if only..._

"Well, if you have no business with then then I will take my leave. I do have other patients in this house, after all," the doctor stated and began to leave until Sasuke spoke up.

"Now, now. We were just trying to get in a dramatic pause," at Sasuke's voice, the figure stopped to listen to what he had to say.

"Must you run all the time... Sakura_-chan?"_

Everyone stilled to see what would happen now. Could this really be...?

Even Ino, Hinata, Hanabi, and TenTen looked to see what the owner of the house would do now. Anxiety filled everyone as the figure turned around to look at Sasuke.

"Why Uchiha-san, I never thought that you would be someone who used such... _affectionate_ suffixes," the figure replied. "However, I am slightly surprised and curious as to the name. Sakura, was it? Do I really look like a Sakura to you?"

At least the voice now sounded like it had a gender. It definitely sounded feminine now, even if it might be due to the male's imagination since they all _thought_ it was Sakura.

'_No_,' they all wanted to answer. '_You look and act nothing like the Sakura we used to know. Are we still so sure_...?'

However, Sasuke, Naruto, and Sai knew that this was _their_ Sakura-chan. It couldn't be anyone else. Sure, _this_ Sakura was slightly - OK, **very** - different from the old Sakura, but that didn't mean that it wasn't her.

Sai could admit that those green eyes... those green eyes that used to exhibit every single emotion that he never could... weren't the same anymore. They didn't shine like they used to. They didn't look like they used to. They didn't _feel _like they used to. And he hated it with every fiber of his being. He knew hate very well, and he hated the lack of feeling in her eyes right now.

Naruto could admit that this sounded nothing like his Sakura-chan. No, Sakura-chan would never speak like that. Sure, she had a really, really big vocabulary and used big words so often that he was compelled to buy an electronic dictionary and carry it around with him. But this... this was different. The words that she was using sounded so _cold_. Even during their meeting previously this day, she didn't sound this... cruel? Harsh? Lifeless? '_Sakura-chan... what happened to you? What happened to us_?'

Sasuke could admit a lot of things in his life. He could admit that Naruto was his best friend and Sai was a close second. He could admit that he respected the Hyuuga even though clan rivalry dictated that he shouldn't. He could admit that he was not as smart as Shikamaru, but was at least smarter than Naruto and Kiba. Now, he had a difficult time admitting that this was Sakura. He tried to convince himself that somewhere underneath all that black, there was still the same Sakura that he knew. The same Sakura that would mother and baby he, Naruto, and Sai. The same Sakura that would keep their friendship intact with a simple smile or spontaneous idea to have a picnic in the middle of November. Where was that Sakura now?

_If only..._

"Sakura-chan... it's really you... isn't it? C'mon, this isn't funny anymore," Naruto pleaded with his eyes for her to come back to him; to come back to them: her boys. How could she have abandoned them like this without a word?

Yes, he, Sai, and Sasuke had noticed when the only female in their group was missing. They had gone to her house and nothing seemed amiss. Sakura had a roommate that they never bothered to meet, and never had. They thought that perhaps she had to go somewhere business or school related and had to leave in such a hurry that she couldn't tell them.

They had waited for her return for months. Waited to see if she sent them a letter, an e-mail, even a text. But there was nothing. They considered that maybe she just _left_ them because she had _wanted to_.

Then, they slowly stopped counting the days that she was gone. With all of the gang activity that soon took over their lives, they began to forgot the piece of humanity that held them all together. How long had it been now? A year? Two at the most? How did they survive so long without their Sakura-chan?

"Uzumaki-san, what is it that you want from me?" the voice asked icily.

Naruto winced at the tone. No, his Sakura-chan wasn't suppose to sound so cold. That was teme's job. She was suppose to be the _warmth_. Yes, he was often the excited one out of the group, but it was _her_ that he drew it from.

"Sakura-chan, stop joking around. It's us, it's me... Naruto, don't you remember?" Naruto was on the verge of begging for her to remember him. To be how she used to be.

Hinata and Ino looked at Naruto with sympathy as he tried to convince their best friend to... what? Be normal?

"Naruto... please, stop," TenTen whispered out.

Everyone looked at TenTen to see why she would ask him to do such a thing.

TenTen avoided their gazes and looked at the stiff figure, pleading with her own eyes. "Don't you think it's time?"

Ino and Hinata wanted to reveal everything as well. Hanabi was in the dark for most of it and wasn't involved in a lot of their 'adult' discussions, so all she could do is see how this played out.

Neji was trying to draw comfort from Hanabi while Kiba and Shino shared a look that spoke of how curious they were. Shikamaru glanced at Chouji to see how he was handling all of this and Chouji just stared at his palms while in deep concentration.

Sasuke had a hard look on the figure and Sai was trying to sort out his feelings, or actually, pick the most appropriate one right now and name it. Naruto was still pleading with the figure to say, '_yes, Naruto, I'm still your old Sakura-chan. Let's go get some ramen, OK_?'

The figure squeezed their eyes shut and seemed to be contemplating the next best move. Upon opening, those eyes looked into TenTen's warm, motherly dark brown eyes for her consent. This wasn't just one person's secret; it was all of theirs.

TenTen knew what was needed of her right now. She nodded her head and gave a smile as encouragement.

Looking to the left at Hinata, Hinata reached out and squeezed her hands against the other to offere reassurance.

On the right, Ino's stare lasted a bit longer because they were _best friends_ and if anyone knew the figure, it would be Ino. Ino had a firm set jaw and gazed into the eyes of her best friend. She knew that no matter what, she'd stick to the decision because her best friend deemed that it was for the best. Her best friend never failed her before, and wouldn't begin to now.

_If only, I could..._

The figure slowly reached for the the string that held the cloak together and pulled hard on it once so that it fell onto the floor. Underneath the cloak, was obviously the body of a female wearing a form fitting olive long-sleeve shirt and slightly tight jeans. Next, the girl unwound the scarf and let it fall onto the floor. However, she had her head bowed and no one could get a clear look at her face. Finally, she reached for the hat adorning her head and threw it on top of the cloak.

The shock of pink hair that sat atop of the head was all the proof that they needed: this was indeed Sakura.

Then, she slowly lifted her head up and a collective gasp filled the room. Ino, Hinata, and TenTen looked away in respect while Hanabi didn't show a reaction at all. This face wasn't new to her; she saw it everyday for the past couple years. Why was it that everyone else reacted so differently?

It was because, besides the familiar short pink hair, big green eyes, and small mouth, scars littered Sakura's face. Her left cheek alone bore three ugly scars while another covered her forehead. Burn marks could be seen on her neck and probably reached an expanse beneath her shirt. Those green eyes... oh, those green eyes weren't the same anymore.

Sai could see it now. Those green eyes were haunted by a memory that Sakura didn't want to remember anymore. Those green eyes shined with hatred, but towards who he wasn't sure. Those green eyes would never be the same.

Everyone remained quiet and drank in the sight of Haruno Sakura. Once best friend to Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, and Kara Sai. Once the only female to have the power to make all three males fall under her powress and smile while doing it. Once the only person who each male loved more than themselves and each other.

Sakura closed her eyes to regain her composure and reopened them to address the crowd that was assembled in front of her.

_If only I could..._

"Yes, my name is indeed Haruno Sakura. Leader of the notorious female gang _Kunoichi_. Healer of this house. Are you satisfied now?" she asked no one directly, but each male felt as though she was only addressing them.

'_Sakura... what on earth happened to you_?' Shikamaru asked himself.

'_I'm sorry it had to be this way, Sakura_,' Chouji lamented.

'_You were always... why did this happen to _you?' Neji wondered.

Hanabi looked around the room at all of the sad faces. She didn't quite understand the cause, but she knew well enough to keep quiet.

'_Sakura, this wasn't supposed to happen to you. Out of everyone out there, never you_,' Kiba thought with remorse.

'_Sakura-san...who would do such a thing_?' Shino asked himself.

'_Sakura-chan... I'll kill whoever did that to you_!' Naruto swore.

Ino and Hinata were trying not to tear up. They should be used to it by now, but they didn't draw any comfort from that.

'_I don't understand... all those books said that the good person always won, right Sakura? Why did you lose_?' Sai helplessly wondered.

'_Sakura... this is all... my fault_,' Sasuke decided with finality.

Sakura closed her eyes and let it all sink it.

_If only I could... start living again._

* * *

**27 January 2008**


End file.
